I > Background:
So after a great weekend (as usual) in London, it was time to go home to Caracas. American offered a surprisingly cheap F fare via JFK and MIA ... and given that F is the only way I roll these days (I wish), I could not resist.

I am not even going to try doing A.Net searches as I am sure there have been plenty of reports on AA's prestigious trans-Atlantic F product. In any case, here is my own unique take on it.

II > Pre-Flight:

a) Before Airport:
American Airlines, Inc. (AA) is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported, passenger fleet size, and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. American operates an extensive international and domestic network, with scheduled flights throughout North America, Latin and South America, Europe, Asia/Pacific and the Caribbean. A founding member of the OneWorld alliance, American has been struggling of late and I want to see how it ends up with its 5 focused city policy.

American's website at www.aa.com is a joy to make reservations on. Crisp and clean, I was soon able to use my credit card and receive my e-ticket. What I love about the site is the ability to view and change flights and tickets ... and most importantly, chose and modify seat selections. All very cool!

b) At Airport:
American is the only foreign flag I can think of that has its own check-in mini-zone at terminal 3 at LHR for their F class passengers. Interestingly, these premium counters were relatively quiet, and an agent was quickly able to issue a boarding pass after confirming all the passport and visa requirements - always fun to show my VZ passport for entry into Venezuela and Liechtenstein for entry into U.S. (visa waiver) - and then get confused looks..

Anyways, boarding card and departure card in hand, I made it past fast track security and soon to the American Flagship lounge. The lounge is OK - nothing to write home about. The lack of dining options for a premium facility was a bit disappointing and I kept wanting more. Moreover, the lack of free internet in a F-facility was weird and I felt I should have just stuck with my usual combination of CX and JL lounges. Oh well.

45 minutes prior to departure, I made my leisurely walk to the gate which turned out to be a zoo. Thankfully, the priority lines made me skip the craziness of the boarding process that seems to increasingly be a hallmark of LHR departures.

Upon entering the 777, I was welcomed by the crew as I made it to my seat. It is here that I interestingly noted that American carriers are probably one of the few ones where the purser does not come greet F class passengers and/or take them to their seat.

As soon as I made it to my seat, a rather "blah" FA ("Mr. AA") came with a round of drinks. As I settled into the seat, the first thing you notice about American's 777 F-class product is how tired the interiors look. Perhaps, it is the rather dull lighting which makes the overall mood feel anything but premium.

As customary, while on the ground, and as I was being brought various goodies.

F load was 100% ... though a later chat confirmed that there were only 3 of us revenue paying First Class passengers.

Airport - External:

(LHR Terminal 3)

Check-in:

(First Class Check-In Area)

Airport - Internal:

(Post Security @ LHR)

Scenes of the tarmac:

NONE

Lounge

(American Airlines Flagship Lounge)
*
(F Class Section)
*
*
*

Boarding:

(Please stop the madness of LHR gates)

III> In-Flight:

a) Service Schedule + Impressions:
Prior to take-off, menus were distributed along with amenity kits. We were also given newspapers and Bose headsets. There was a champagne/OJ/water service as well. After take-off, cheap hot towels - where is the product differentiation from JCL here?, and a meal service. 90 minutes prior to landing, another meal service.

b) Aircraft + Seats:
As I mentioned, American's 772's looked tired. This was exacerbated with the lighting that made the interiors look far older than they should. Perhaps because I had flown a flight on 9W a few days earlier, these looked even worse than usual. Overall, not the best ambience for a flagship First class product.

On to the seat, American has an unique product. It is a lie-flat seat that swirls into position facing the window. While it does not have the privacy that Suites afford you, I personally am a big fan of this layout - especially as one can just switch off the rest of the cabin and just look out of the window. There are lots of little spaces here and there to store stuff - though, the lack of normal power point is a huge letdown. Come on American - the days of EmPower are SOO over.

Even though dated and showing age, the seat is actually very comfortable in all positions - including when being totally flat. It does not have the "bumps" and "folds" that have led to the downfall of many seats. Furthermore, the seat looks great in several "hang out" positions as well. Overall, not too shabby.

Another disappointing thing was the bathroom. Adding to the overall dingy lighting was a complete lack of amenities. Is this the best American can on her flagship intercontinental First?

c) Meal + Beverage:
Possibly, the biggest disappointment of my American First class experience was in the "Meal & Beverage" department. As I have said in several reports, First class should be significantly above Business. In the case of AA, not only was the meals not befitting First, it should not even be considered a meal worthy of being loaded in JCL.

Service got off the ground on the ground with a glass of Nicholas Feuillaute ... nothing spectacular, but would do OK I guess. After take-off, I ordered a gin and tonic and waited for my meal. Choices for brunch included an Asian noodle, crepe, toast, and omelet. Seriously, that's it? Anyways, I chose the Asian noodle ... which was a bizarre and not really tasty. Moreover, served after a fruit salad, it just seemed wrong. Besides, the whole thing ... along with the rather stale croissant fell all over the place.

I had a few G&T's and fell asleep midway through the flight ... 90 minutes prior to landing, got a café and then had another rushed scallops meal served with warm nuts ... and another fruit salad. The whole two rounds of fruit salad just kept me wanting a real meal. Thankfully, AA's signature cookie was there at the end to neutralize my tongue after an overall extremely disappointing culinary affair.

d) Inflight Entertainment:
Americans IFE also was not up to the mark. It is a generation behind its competitors and I think it is time it thinks of updating it. I did appreciate the Bose headsets ... but the choices in the content and the quality of the screen left much to be desired. However, I must say that the content were at least more up to date and refreshed than I have seen on other U.S. carriers.

I ended up watching "Sherlock Holmes" ... though, in hindsight, wish I watched it on a good screen rather than AA's tiny monitors.

(Controls + Headset)
*
(IFE System)
*
*
*
*

(“In-flight magazines”, Boarding Passes, etc.)

e) Crew:
I wish I could write a lot about the crew on American's flight. While there were no real nasty ones that stood out like the Korean purser on my United flight a few days earlier, the crew as a whole was utterly unmemorable. Perhaps because they had no pro-active desire to be there for the passenger, or perhaps because they never really did anything beyond the basics, I don't know ... but overall the crew just seemed to be in auto-pilot going through motions.

IV> Post-Flight:
Landing at JFK was on time ... but immigration took absolutely forever, and reminded me why I find JFK to be one of the ONLY TWO U.S. gateways I absolutely detest for international arrivals ... MIA is the other. Though to be fair, the quality of the facility at MIA has improvement significantly over the years. Now only if they can replace half the service professionals ... anyways, I digress.

(JFK Scenes - wish I could fly these!)

V> Impressions + Scores:
I have always been a fond of American's service on Latin America and domestic U.S. routes. Generally, I also enjoy the service offered by their AAdvantage program whose customer service usually is a notch above United. However, on this flight, I was thoroughly disappointed at the product offering. While the seat itself is good and innovative (when launched), the entire cabin felt tired and jaded. The meal service, the crew, and IFE all felt uninspired. Perhaps, it was symbolic of an overall airline that seems increasingly to lose its place in the world. This review reads quite "Blah" ... and the reason was because the experience was just that. "BLAH".

LHR - JFK is American's flagship route. It really needs to do much better than what I witnessed. I did not expect a Thai or Jet Airways like service complete with JD-Blue, pajamas, escorted service, popcorns, etc., but there is significant room for improvement on almost all fronts. Can't give a thumb up or down on this one.

Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter):always fun to show my VZ passport for entry into Venezuela and Liechtenstein for entry into U.S. (visa waiver) - and then get confused looks..

So you have two passports?

Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter):Anyways, boarding card and departure card in hand, I made it past fast track security and soon to the American Flagship lounge. The lounge is OK - nothing to write home about. The lack of dining options for a premium facility was a bit disappointing and I kept wanting more. Moreover, the lack of free internet in a F-facility was weird and I felt I should have just stuck with my usual combination of CX and JL lounges. Oh well.

Wow. I'd expect that AA would have a flashy and excellent lounge at LHR considering their huge presence and LHR is probably AA's most prestigious int'l destination.

I'm surprised! I flew with DL in Y last Feb and we had more amenities! Take note that the inbound flight was on an MD80! I also flew with OZ last summer and the amenities were excellent (mouthwash, toothbrush, hand moisturizer, cups, etc) even in Y class..

Great trip report! However, based on your pictures and comments, AA seems to be doing pretty bad on their "flagship" route. I'd expect AA to go above and beyond especially on the JFK-LHR flights, which IMO the most prestigious route out there. I've read past AA TRs (J Class) and they seem to have better meal/service, so I guess AA is pretty inconsistent.

And I agree, AA's website is great. Their FF Program seems great too, OW flights for only 12.5K, unlike DL who charges who knows how many miles...

Once again, great TR as usual!

And you should try Asiana someday, I'm such a big fan and I can't wait til' you make a TR about them

I've only flown International First twice - once on BA and once on AA. However, I have to agree with you about AA's product. While I liked the space available with AA's seat, the food and service were far far below what I experienced on BA's First, or even J on Air France and Delta. My flight was LHR-ORD. I walked into the F cabin to overhear two FA's complaining about their schedules loudly and where passengers could overhear. I watched two other set up two of the F seats to be used as FA rest beds, with two duvets each. Part of the seat was actually being held together by tape. The guy behind me had to go and ask for a newspaper and a drink before boarding had ended. Between the meals, flight attendents were hard to find, and not at all attentive. I was flying on points, but if I had paid the $ for that flight I would have been not just disappointed, but furious.

The food was mediocre, and the second meal was actually a small pizza! I always feel a bit bad about complaining about service when I'm fortunate enough (1) to travel internationally as much as I do and (2) to do it often in premium cabins (normally J). But I was anything but impressed!

Quoting JetBlue777 (Reply 1):
Wow. I'd expect that AA would have a flashy and excellent lounge at LHR considering their huge presence and LHR is probably AA's most prestigious int'l destination.

= I would have thought that too.

Quoting JetBlue777 (Reply 1):
I'm surprised! I flew with DL in Y last Feb and we had more amenities! Take note that the inbound flight was on an MD80! I also flew with OZ last summer and the amenities were excellent (mouthwash, toothbrush, hand moisturizer, cups, etc) even in Y class..

Nice TR!
However, just shows me once again I would never pay money for AA F!
BTW, I've always wondered how you have a Liechtenstein passport. Have you ever lived in the principality, or are your family from there?

Quoting jrlander (Reply 2):The food was mediocre, and the second meal was actually a small pizza! I always feel a bit bad about complaining about service when I'm fortunate enough (1) to travel internationally as much as I do and (2) to do it often in premium cabins (normally J). But I was anything but impressed!

= Wow. A small pizza! Really? That is what they give you in YCL. I don't think you should feel bad for a service you are paying for.

Quoting LX64A332 (Reply 4):Nice TR!
However, just shows me once again I would never pay money for AA F!

= Agreed.

Quoting LX64A332 (Reply 4):BTW, I've always wondered how you have a Liechtenstein passport. Have you ever lived in the principality, or are your family from there?

= Haha ... I have been asked this so many times on A.Net ... was born to a Spanish-Venezuelan dad and British-Canadian mom in Liechtenstein ... where she was born as well ... so hence an eclectic collection of passports.

Awesome report. I chuckled as two days ago was the first time I ever rode on AA's 777 First Class and i felt quite curious as to how others looked at this clearly worn and outdated First.

I must agree with you, AA has lost their track. They misplace how the Business and First Classes should be served. I find AA flight attendants to be extremely robotic and with not much will to do the job, they're nice... But just that, no extra effort.

The seat is indeed very comfortable. If you go back to Business though, it's quite bad. Cramped and tight. I like the 767's better.

I don't know why they randomly serve the sundaes (which are my weak spot as well!!!).

One question, was the before-takeoff drink served in a plastic or glass cup? I always get plastic, which is quite atrocious IMHO.

I really hope they introduce a new service with the arrival of their new 77W. It would be nice to see AA catch up with the world, I am a big fan and a big user of their services and would definitely appreciate an upgrade in all their services.

Another great trip report! It's a shame AA wasn't able to offer much in the way of service, especially in their F product. My experiences with AA have always been hit-or-miss. I've often wondered if continued deregulation would permit American air carriers to hire foreign workers to staff their international flights (like cruise lines) to improve their service.

Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter):F load was 100% ... though a later chat confirmed that there were only 3 of us revenue paying First Class passengers.

Great Report, I always look forward to reading your reports, especially now with all the F flying you're doing.

Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter):Anyways, boarding card and departure card in hand, I made it past fast track security and soon to the American Flagship lounge. The lounge is OK - nothing to write home about. The lack of dining options for a premium facility was a bit disappointing and I kept wanting more.

The lounge looks pretty boring, disappointing considering that LHR is one of AA's most important markets.

Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter):On to the seat, American has an unique product. It is a lie-flat seat that swirls into position facing the window. While it does not have the privacy that Suites afford you, I personally am a big fan of this layout - especially as one can just switch off the rest of the cabin and just look out of the window.

AA's F seat looks pretty good, albeit being a bit dated. The looking out of the window feature is pretty unique & cool.

As an AA EXP, I agree with everything you have posted. The "Flagship" F product is really lacking and the part about 3 revenue F pax shows how much it is really worth. I actually think you are too kind about the state of the interior. Most AA planes could use a deep cleaning at a minimum but realistically, a complete overhaul is due. IFE is seriously lacking as you observed. Food in F would be served in Y+ on many other airlines. In almost all their lounges, AA does not even serve real coffee. Rather it's a machine that adds hot water to some type of coffee concentrate. Yuk. International routes tends to go to the most senior flight attendants AKA the most burnt out. You can almost hear some of them counting their days until retirement.

Quoting 797 (Reply 6):Awesome report. I chuckled as two days ago was the first time I ever rode on AA's 777 First Class and i felt quite curious as to how others looked at this clearly worn and outdated First.

= Enrique - which route did you fly? Are we going to see a TR?

Quoting 797 (Reply 6):
I must agree with you, AA has lost their track. They misplace how the Business and First Classes should be served. I find AA flight attendants to be extremely robotic and with not much will to do the job, they're nice... But just that, no extra effort.

= Interestingly, I have had some really good crews on my MIA-CCS flights ... and some exemplary ones on domestic U.S. flights. Even American Eagle has good crews ... including this awesome Polish woman based out of ORD.

This crew was plain uninspiring ... but a little better than some of the Miami based crews I have found who I struggle to understand in both Spanish and in English! And for plain English speakers on board, I shake my head and smile because their English is worse than what I would find on some of the worst Latin carriers .

Quoting 797 (Reply 6):If you go back to Business though, it's quite bad. Cramped and tight. I like the 767's better.

= Actually, I have never flown on AA-J ... only F or Y. But I have walked through the cabin and they indeed look cramped.

One question, was the before-takeoff drink served in a plastic or glass cup? I always get plastic, which is quite atrocious IMHO.

= It was served in a plastic fake champagne glass if I recall. What has been your experience?

Quoting WhereToNext (Reply 7):
Another great trip report! It's a shame AA wasn't able to offer much in the way of service, especially in their F product. My experiences with AA have always been hit-or-miss. I've often wondered if continued deregulation would permit American air carriers to hire foreign workers to staff their international flights (like cruise lines) to improve their service.

= That would create a riot ...

Quoting Aflyingkiwi (Reply 8):
Great Report, I always look forward to reading your reports, especially now with all the F flying you're doing.

= Sadly for you, liberating for me (hehe), this was probably like last F report for a while ... though, I promise the next one in queue is far more interesting ...

Quoting Aflyingkiwi (Reply 8):
The lounge looks pretty boring, disappointing considering that LHR is one of AA's most important markets.

= Yup. Makes you question their "Cornerstone" strategy ...

Quoting Aflyingkiwi (Reply 8):
Shocking, you probably get better amenities in most Y cabins around the world.

= Yup.

Quoting Aflyingkiwi (Reply 8):Those meals just look uninspiring, definitely would make you wonder why you paid so much to fly F.

= I think this was the last self-pocket F trip I have made on AA ... though to be fair, unlike UA, there is a clear product difference between the two premier cabins.

As an AA EXP, I agree with everything you have posted. The "Flagship" F product is really lacking and the part about 3 revenue F pax shows how much it is really worth. I actually think you are too kind about the state of the interior. Most AA planes could use a deep cleaning at a minimum but realistically, a complete overhaul is due. IFE is seriously lacking as you observed. Food in F would be served in Y+ on many other airlines. In almost all their lounges, AA does not even serve real coffee. Rather it's a machine that adds hot water to some type of coffee concentrate. Yuk. International routes tends to go to the most senior flight attendants AKA the most burnt out. You can almost hear some of them counting their days until retirement.

= Sad when someone as experienced as an AA EXP says this. It really makes me sad to see AA in such a mess.

Quoting Burj (Reply 10):
Why does AA even have a lounge at LHR? Why don't they use their OW partner, BA's lounges?

= Perhaps because LHR is such a key market for them?

Quoting Burj (Reply 10):So chairs in the middle of the cabin do they also swing away from the aisle and face the center line of the cabin?

= I have actually only sat in the window seat ... 1J or 1A (if not reserved for crew) are the best in the house ... but if I remember correctly, they actually move in to face the other person ... good for couples.

What an excellent report of yours about AA FCL product. If I had not read your in-flight experience further on in your report, I would have ended up booking an AA flight just because the amazing website features sound too inviting to try myself.

But then, what a poles apart FCL AA and 9W are. Apart from the seat, I just miss the WOW factor during the whole journey. If this represents FCL, what would JCL and even YCL be like?

Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter):American is the only foreign flag I can think of that has its own check-in mini-zone at terminal 3 at LHR for their F class passengers

It is a very weird set up Zone H. Its at the other end of the building compared to AA Check in, and a lot further away from security? Nice to see pics inside. I walk past it alot on the way into Zone G but have never taken a look inside

Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter):Landing at JFK was on time ... but immigration took absolutely forever, and reminded me why I find JFK to be one of the ONLY TWO U.S. gateways I absolutely detest for international arrivals ... MIA is the other.

- I've been quite luck with all my JFK arrivals of late, though I agree with you on MIA, it's just dire for intl arrivals.

Well I think your use of "BLAH" very much sums the experience up. The whole service just seems a bit behind the times. Dull lounge with poor facilities, old aircraft interiors with dull colours and bland food on offer.
I didn't know the seat spun on its base to face the window. That is quite cool to be fair.

very enjoyable report as usual! AA's F Class product doesn't look good at all, I would expect much more. I cannot believe what kind of average and badly presented food they served. AA should have a look at Swiss' excellent new long-haul J Class which I recently tested...

Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter):As I settled into the seat, the first thing you notice about American's 777 F-class product is how tired the interiors look. Perhaps, it is the rather dull lighting which makes the overall mood feel anything but premium.

JFK-LHR-JFK is probably the most prestigious transatlantic route, like you said. I fly AA in first class between the US and Tokyo a lot, and usually the service is very good. I'd like to hear your comments on one of our transpacific flights some times.
I usually find the in flight service to be very nice...once in a while we get f/a's who are like you describes...on auto pilot, but I have always found the transpacific service to be very good.

Thank you for your TR and I hope you have a better experience on AA next time.

Great TR! I have never flown AA in F overseas before, but next week will be my first time. I am flying DFW-GRU on Tuesday (probably anyway) and back on the 10th. Ill try and take some pictures and do a TR, but I can never figure out how to make them show up properly.

Quoting akhmad (Reply 12):If I had not read your in-flight experience further on in your report, I would have ended up booking an AA flight just because the amazing website features sound too inviting to try myself.

= Well, I have to give credit where its due. The website was upgraded a few years back and it is very good.

Quoting akhmad (Reply 12):
But then, what a poles apart FCL AA and 9W are. Apart from the seat, I just miss the WOW factor during the whole journey. If this represents FCL, what would JCL and even YCL be like?

= I have never flown in JCL on AA ... but funnily enough YCL is usually OK. What makes an experience is the crew and in general I have had good ones on AA. AAgain, I remain convinced that when seniority comes with entitlement, crews perform poorly.

Quoting lhr380 (Reply 13):It is a very weird set up Zone H. Its at the other end of the building compared to AA Check in, and a lot further away from security? Nice to see pics inside. I walk past it alot on the way into Zone G but have never taken a look inside

= Ya. I think you would have flagged an alert by just walking in, clicking some pics, and dashing off . Who do you use for your zone G check-in?

Quoting lhr380 (Reply 13):I would have been left starving after that kind of service!

= I did! During the entire meal service, I kept on wondering when was the main course coming in!

Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 14):I like the way the seat can be positioned to face the outside, quite a cool feature.

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 17):AA should have a look at Swiss' excellent new long-haul J Class which I recently tested...

= When does the TR come PH?! LX - J is the BEST J cabin in Europe. I love everything except the way the dining table is placed - I might have hit it like 100 times!

Quoting triple7man (Reply 18): I fly AA in first class between the US and Tokyo a lot, and usually the service is very good. I'd like to hear your comments on one of our transpacific flights some times.

= Depends. I have had some good AA FCL experiences on NRT - and some mediocre ones.

Quoting LAXdude1023 (Reply 19):Great TR! I have never flown AA in F overseas before, but next week will be my first time. I am flying DFW-GRU on Tuesday (probably anyway) and back on the 10th. Ill try and take some pictures and do a TR, but I can never figure out how to make them show up properly.

= Service on Latin America (especially ex-DFW) is usually good. How long are you in GRU? Our paths may cross and we can have a coffee?

AA First Class is really nothing special and don't be surprised that the meals in business are identical and almost the same, except first class gets one more entree choice and the meals are plated individually rather than served in the casserole dish. These morning flights are always tricky to plan and AA has failed considerably and I am surprised that a proper lunch is not served... it should at least be a mini lunch with appetizer/salad starter, then a proper entree, and at least a piece of cake/mousse as dessert.

But then there are three revenue first class passengers and you never know if they pay F or just upgrade from J to F! I fly AA transatlantic only if I can upgrade to F because their J seats are horrible. If I have to pay J, I stick with other European carriers.

AA Boeing 777 is really showing its age and its lack of technological features is obvious. But the flagship suite is quite a unique design and is very comfortable in sleeping. I guess if I am paying J fares and getting this seat, I am more than happy!

Thanks for sharing again!

Just keep them coming!

With your UA report, I begin to wonder if US airlines should keep first class, as it has no incentive to improve service. Maybe a good combined business/first product is good enough!

Thanks again for this report. Having flown AA's 777s domestically in F, but only ever in J on long-haul, I must agree with you that this service is fairly disappointing, and certainly unbecoming of their Flagship route. I've seen much better catering in domestic F. Must be something about those Brits and their food. Nevertheless, this TR (and indeed, many others, mine included) isn't so much an indictment of AA's product as it is a plea for some much needed updates. Your scores show that AA does everything respectably well, but nothing spectacularly, and I would agree with that. A revamp of their hard product (either some major refurbishment of their seats/monitors, or just a new product, along with a vastly improved IFE system), some minor attentions to detail (like amenities in the lavatory), and suddenly AA surges well ahead of some carriers, including all US airlines.

I was astounded by the catering on this flight. I've usually found that to be one of AA's strong suits, but this was entirely unbecoming of F meal service. I would certainly complain about this. As a paying F customer, you have a right to expect more (and usually, that expectation is met). As I said, that meal service is much worse than the last two meals I've had on AA long-haul J (MIA-EZE//EZE-MIA), and about on par with some of the better domestic F meals, save for the number of courses due to flight length.

But again, it's interesting that despite the comparatively negative experience, they still scored respectably. Lots of little gripes, but nothing so negatively memorable. Unfortunately, it seems AA is content to be unforgettable at this point.

Quoting Carfield (Reply 21):AA First Class is really nothing special and don't be surprised that the meals in business are identical and almost the same, except first class gets one more entree choice and the meals are plated individually rather than served in the casserole dish.

= I knew that on UA the catering for F includes one additional menu option ... did not know this was also the case with AA. How disappointing. Is the entire menu the same ... or, is there one additional item?

Quoting Carfield (Reply 21):These morning flights are always tricky to plan and AA has failed considerably and I am surprised that a proper lunch is not served... it should at least be a mini lunch with appetizer/salad starter, then a proper entree, and at least a piece of cake/mousse as dessert.

= I thought of that as well ... and do recognize it is a tad tricky. Why not reverse the service? Have a small breakfast and then a nicer lunch prior to arrival?

Quoting Carfield (Reply 21):But then there are three revenue first class passengers and you never know if they pay F or just upgrade from J to F!

= And here we end up with the inevitable chicken/egg problem - with this kind of service, why would I bother paying for that full fare First class ticket like I did?

Quoting Carfield (Reply 21):I fly AA transatlantic only if I can upgrade to F because their J seats are horrible. If I have to pay J, I stick with other European carriers.

= Yup. And as I mention, this would be my last paying F experience on a U.S. airline for quite some time. What is the point of paying the extra money?

= Now that I don't have confidentiality crap to worry about, I am back with a vengeance ... though, more "exotic" reports coming up than F class stuff.

Quoting Carfield (Reply 21):
With your UA report, I begin to wonder if US airlines should keep first class, as it has no incentive to improve service. Maybe a good combined business/first product is good enough!

Quoting Longhornmaniac (Reply 22):Nevertheless, this TR (and indeed, many others, mine included) isn't so much an indictment of AA's product as it is a plea for some much needed updates.

= Good way of looking at it.

Quoting Longhornmaniac (Reply 22):Your scores show that AA does everything respectably well, but nothing spectacularly, and I would agree with that. A revamp of their hard product (either some major refurbishment of their seats/monitors, or just a new product, along with a vastly improved IFE system), some minor attentions to detail (like amenities in the lavatory), and suddenly AA surges well ahead of some carriers, including all US airlines.

= This is exactly right - it was a BLAH experience - nothing horrible. But the question is - at the price of intercontinental F, why bother with just a BLAH experience?

Quoting Longhornmaniac (Reply 22):I've had on AA long-haul J (MIA-EZE//EZE-MIA), and about on par with some of the better domestic F meals, save for the number of courses due to flight length.

= EZE is probably the best catered flight on the AA network along with DEL.

Quoting Longhornmaniac (Reply 22):But again, it's interesting that despite the comparatively negative experience, they still scored respectably. Lots of little gripes, but nothing so negatively memorable. Unfortunately, it seems AA is content to be unforgettable at this point.

= Overall ... and from a business strategy perspective, AA just seems lost and at drift.

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 23):
I still have to post two other reports, should be online in a few weeks.

PH

= So PH, where are the next reports from?

Thanks a lot for reading everyone.

Saludos,
A.

Live, and let live.

25 shamrock604
: I'd go one further than blah - that looks like quite frankly the crumbiest premium class "experience" I have ever seen. The food - woeful The cabin -

26 lychemsa
: The food looks awful. What time was your flight from LHR? I recently flew AA, Y NYC to LHR R/T and these were my observations, similar to yours: 1. Ca

27 lhr380
: Ages ago! Not long after BA moved into the terminal. BA actually used the Sakura lounge when it first moved back into the terminal (After a brief sti

28 767747
: Thanks for another good report! AA is a very good airline, but this report certainly shows that they are lacking in several key areas. I feel like AA

29 797
: Alex, it was MIA - JFK. My trip began in CCS with a two-day stop in MIA. I decided to take AA614 just to use the 777 and its First Class, which on do

30 Quokka
: Having just read your report on the BOM - LHR with Jet Airways, I could not fail to note the enormous gulf between them and the service provided by AA

31 Genius12
: Nice report - shame that AA's product appears to be so bad. That is the main reason I will never fly AA transcontinental. The AA lounge at LHR that yo

32 crosswinds21
: This TR is pretty similar to my experiences in AA F (although I have always enjoyed the food - perhaps that's because I've never taken a morning fligh

33 TOMMY767
: This a great report. I would say that your rating of 7.38 is actually rather generous with that sub par catering you recieved. Honestly, the only real

34 KFitz
: How would you personally compare the seat to the new United First Suite that you rode into ICN in? Obviously the IFE on UA is in another league, but h

35 abrelosojos
: = Wow. That is pretty harsh . = As indicated, this was the morning flight - and so was surprised that there wasn't more of an effort for a good lunch

36 44k
: AA Morning International First flight with breakfast service = AVOID !!! I'm not making excuses for the terrible catering, but had you taken a lunch

37 Genius12
: Your pictures are 100% the Admirals Club lounge. This is what the Flagship Lounge looks like; http://www.businesstraveller.com/fil...erican-Airlines/

38 lhr380
: Your flight would have had 2 code share flight numbers on it other then the AA flight number, I work for one of those that happens to use Zone G as i

39 abrelosojos
: = Is the sundae not offered for AM flights? I think a better and less-cost cutting measure would have been to offer a small breakfast and then a bett

40 The777Man
: I wish I could agree with that statement...... Flew DFW-SCL last July in Y on a 763 and couldn't believe that it had no PTVs. The controls for the au

41 lhr380
: You just might be! However I like T3. You get a proper airport atmosphere in there, and airside Oneworld have a nice set up. All the Oneworld airline